Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The conflict in the Middle East continues to dominate Swiss news, which today include the decision not to suspend funding to UNRWA and a sharp rise in anti-Semitic attacks, reportedly fuelled by the situation in Gaza.
Also in today’s briefing: a decision on family reunification that keeps Swiss nationals at a disadvantage compared to European Union residents, and a move to strengthen financial market supervision to prevent another systemic banking collapse.
Enjoy the read!
Switzerland will not immediately suspend its contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). On Wednesday, the Senate rejected a motion to suspend payments, voting 25 to 19 against it – contrary to an earlier decision by the House of Representatives.
The debate remains highly divisive. Supporters of an immediate suspension argue that Switzerland should not fund an organisation allegedly linked to terrorist groups, a claim made by Israel, and that other aid organisations could fulfil the same role.
Opponents, however, maintain that UNRWA’s work is indispensable and that halting contributions would have severe consequences for the civilian population in Gaza and the surrounding region.
While the Senate opted to maintain Switzerland’s funding for now, it also passed a separate motion (24 votes to 20) calling on the government to seek alternative solutions within the international community.
Cases of anti-Semitism in Switzerland reached an unprecedented level in 2024, according to a report by the Foundation Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (GRA) and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG).
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) highlighted the case of a 50-year-old Orthodox Jewish man in Zurich who was stabbed and narrowly survived last year – an attack described as the most serious of 221 reported anti-Semitic incidents in 2024. The latest report notes a 43% increase in anti-Semitic incidents compared to 2023 and a 287% increase since 2022. There were also 11 physical assaults in 2024, whereas none were reported the previous year.
One of the central issues highlighted is that Swiss Jews are often seen as representatives of Israel and are viewed as complicit in its policies. This perception, the report states, fuels hostility against the Jewish community.
The increase in attacks has heightened concerns among Swiss Jews, with one in three now avoiding wearing religious symbols and 30% considering leaving Switzerland.
Swiss citizens will continue to face stricter rules than European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) residents when it comes to family reunification, after the House of Representatives rejected a proposed amendment to Switzerland’s Foreign Nationals and Integration Act.
The proposal, which aimed to grant Swiss nationals the same rights as EU/EFTA residents in sponsoring relatives from non-EU/EFTA countries, was rejected by 113 votes to 71.
Under current rules, an EU or EFTA citizen living in Switzerland can bring parents and grandparents of their spouses from third countries. A Swiss citizen living in Switzerland cannot do the same and is only allowed to sponsor spouses and minors.
The left-wing Social Democratic Party led the effort to end this disparity, arguing that it was discriminatory. However, opponents, including the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, claimed that expanding reunification rights would create a strong migration incentive and place an additional financial burden on taxpayers.
Switzerland’s systemically important banks will soon face tighter capital requirements, while the powers of financial market regulator FINMA will be expanded to prevent future banking crises.
The House of Representatives today backed a package of reforms aligned with the Senate, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the Credit Suisse collapse in 2023.
The measures come in response to findings by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (ICC), which concluded that Credit Suisse’s failure was due to mismanagement by its leadership, regulatory shortcomings at FINMA, and a lack of political oversight.
During the debate, right-wing parties argued that existing regulations were sufficient and that excessive intervention could harm Switzerland’s financial sector. Left-wing parties insisted that the current safeguards were inadequate, particularly for a future UBS crisis, and criticised past inaction by parliament, the federal government and the Swiss National Bank.
Translated from Italian using DeepL/amva
In the fifth installment of this six-part podcast, a whistleblower describes the scene as the cells were frantically packed up to be moved to a completely different storage facility.
We also hear from families across Europe who feel like they’re being held hostage. Who owns their cells once their location has changed? Do they have any rights? They fight back with the only thing they do have: their own tenacity and an international network of sleuths.
Listen and subscribe to ‘Lost Cells’ wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple PodcastsExternal link, SpotifyExternal link, YouTubeExternal link and Amazon musicExternal link.
Translated from Italian using DeepL/amva
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